The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-05-21
FOREIGN.
Rumor that BouIanger Says War Is
Inevitable.
He viii Not Consent to Reduction
of military Expenses.
The FrenchIArnny Able to.cope With
anylAdversary.

: PARIS, May 2o.-Gen. Boulanger, replying
to hisIsecretary' s.inquiry as.to..whether his
| paperssshould,be removed from.the War Of
flee, said he felt confident that no statesman
would venture to remove him from office.
New YORK, May 2O.-In an interview with
Herald correspondent at.Paris yesterday,
Gen. EBoulaLger expressed himself on thr
present.crisis.in. France. Speaking OF the
conditions on.which he would retain the war
portfolio in the newlcabinet, Gen. Boulanger
said; 81 would,not consent to the withdrawal
or modfication.in any way of my bill for the
reorganization of the army, nor OF my plan
tor partial mobilizationlthc coming autumn.
Nor would consent to the reduction of the
war budget by single centime. Then there
are certain men whom would never consent
to be in the same cabinet with. They are
persons who hold the dignity Of the country
wish to put a brake on tho avzalzenina of the
military spirit of the nation. l do not wish
the esprit militaire to goo too far nor In any
way to assume the air OF proyocation, but L
am convinced that the esprit militaire Is our
best defence if we are attacked, and never
would do anything to lessen or dim the esprit
national. | would rather break my sword.
If do not form part of new ministry will
retire quietly. i shall leave the army prepar-
ed, organized and able 10 measure its strength
with any army that exists. Germany will
not attack us, because she knows that we are
strong, and the Germans are prudent race.
The French army cannot for moment hope
for any ally, for there is not single power
In Europe that has confidence in us on ac-
count of our uncertain policy, but we do not
need anybody. consider war as inevitable.
To be sure, we might disarm and thereby
make great economies; but this would be
dong exactly what our neighbors wantnus to
do, and they would make us in very short
time pay very dearly for it. The treaty of
Frankfort would be repeated with the stipu-
latl0nS which now cause France an annual
loss of two or three hundred million francs
and the renunciation that they demand Of us,
OF our dignity and our rights. This treaty
is averitable tribute that France pays to
Germany. Is it not preferable, more worthy
OF us to free ourselves from it? pity those
who do not understand this. In any case /
never would consent to abandon one iota Of
my military and political convictions So
long as l am Minister of War France shall
not submit to the slightest affront, and pre-
fer to retire rather than be in thes cabinet
with members who would not allow me free
dom of actian. | also assure you," said the
General in concluding the interview" that
will not accept any high command of the
army, such as commander of corps d'armee
or any other, nor do aspire to any office. /
will wait"
Foreign Notes.
Mr.. Gladstone accompanied his wife to q
meeting of the Women's Liberal Federation
Thursday. Being asked to make q speech
he excused himself on the ground of hoarse-
ness and loss of voice.
The second installment of the present Sc
ries of articles on "Parnellism and crime
appeared in the London Times Friday. 1t
deals with league conventions in Chicago and
Philadelphia.
Fierce gales have prevailed and grbat dam
age has been done in various parts of Eng
land In Kent the wind blew with the vio-
lence of a hurricane. Snow and hail storms
have been experienced in the lake districts Of
Scotland.